“Arming” for Victory

Memory
Text: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you
may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand“ (Ephesians 6:13,
NKJV).

Key
Thought: Every believer must be personally and
individually armed as we each, personally and individually, find
ourselves immersed in the great controversy.

Satan’s ultimate goal is to wrest
for himself the allegiance that all true believers give to Christ.
Before conversion, people belonged to the devil’s realm; he ruled over
them. Although conversion to Christ takes the believer away from the
devil’s dominion, it does not completely shatter the devil’s power. If
anything, Satan increases his efforts to destroy our faith and win us
back to himself. He has a vast array of deceptive ploys; Scripture
calls them “the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
In the end, though, no matter the enemy’s deceptions, ploys, and wiles,
he can take no one from Christ who is determined to stay faithful to
the Lord (Satan might make our life miserable, but that’s another
matter, entirely).

This week’s lesson focuses on the Christian’s armor in this
warfare. Putting on all of God’s armor is our only
protection. Therefore, we need to understand the nature of that armor
because, without it, we would surely fall prey to the enemy; with it,
our victory is assured.

*Study this week’s lesson to
prepare for Sabbath, November 17.

SUNDAY November
11

The Need for Arming Personally

In Ephesians 6:12,
Paul describes the Christian life as a struggle, saying, “we
. . . wrestle.” Notice, he uses the plural. The passage reads,
literally, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood” (NKJV).
Every Christian is brought into the picture. In verse 13 he urges his
readers to put on the whole armor of God. It is with God’s
armor that we are to equip ourselves, and it has been made available
for our use. Paul begins the verse with the word “wherefore/therefore,”
implying that, in view of the nature of the conflict, such arming is
necessary. Paul, then, describes the way in which the Christian ought
to be armed and does so using the imagery of how a Roman soldier would
have been armed for battle.

Consider
the imagery of Ephesians 6:14-17
carefully. What in the picture impresses you with the fact that here is
a struggle that not only involves every Christian but calls,
fundamentally, for personal engagement? What does that mean to you that
you, yourself, have a fight in which to engage?

The word translated as “wrestling” originally referred to
hand-to-hand combat but was later applied to other types of fighting.
As used here, although a real hand-to-hand contest with demons may not
be in view, the word clearly points to an individualizing
of the struggle.

The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13,
though in a different context than what’s being considered here,
nevertheless speaks to the issue of personal
engagement in spiritual matters. Ellen White applies the spiritual
conditions of the five virgins to Paul’s description of a class of
end-time people who have a form of godliness but lack its power (2
Tim. 3:1-5). “This is the class that in
time of peril are found crying, Peace and safety. They lull their
hearts into security, and dream not of danger. When startled from their
lethargy, they discern their destitution, and entreat others to supply
their lack; but in spiritual things no man can make up another’s
deficiency.” - Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons,
pp. 411, 412.

What are some things that only
you, yourself, can do for yourself-things that no one else can? (For
instance, no one can eat for you, can they?) How do you then apply that
same principle to the arming of self for the spiritual conflict in
which we are each individually engaged?

MONDAY November
12

Girdle of Truth, Breastplate of
Righteousness

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having
put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14,
NKJV).

Though it’s a little difficult to know the exact nature of the
girdle, it seems that in Ephesians 6:14
Paul may have been referring to a leather apron that offered some
protection to the lower abdomen but also made freedom of movement and
readiness for action possible. In this sense, the girdle was a piece of
basic armor. And that armor, said Paul, was “truth.” Along with the
girdle of truth was the breastplate of righteousness.
Thus, in this one verse Paul links the concepts of truth and
righteousness.

When the apostle Paul speaks of righteousness as a breastplate
in the context of spiritual warfare, he has moral issues in mind. Doing
right and practicing righteousness, or in other words, living out the
“truth,” are as vital to Christians in the battle with the powers of
evil as the breastplate is to the soldier on the battlefield. When we
neglect to do what is right, when we turn our backs on what we know to
be the truth, we are easy prey for Satan’s attacks, because we are
leaving a wide open hole in our armor.

At the same time, though this “righteousness” includes living
a righteous life, we must always remember the other aspect of
righteousness, and that is the righteousness of Christ, which covers
the believer and remains the believer’s only hope of salvation. As long
as we cling to this truth-that our salvation rests in Jesus-we can be
protected from one of Satan’s most efficient spiritual assaults against
us: discouragement.

Have you ever been tempted to
give up your walk with Jesus because you’ve been discouraged over your
life, your character, your actions? If so, why is understanding the
truth about Christ’s righteousness so crucial to a strong defense
against Satan’s assaults?

TUESDAY November
13

Preparation and the Shield of Faith

The Roman soldier armed himself to ensure that his steps would
not be impeded on rough terrain. To facilitate movement over all kinds
of roads, Roman soldiers often wore shoes studded with sharp nails.
Such shoes ensured a good grip, and Paul likens the shoes to the
“readiness,” or “preparation,” of the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15).

Read Isaiah 52:7,
Romans 10:15,
and Ephesians 6:15.
Paul’s idea seems to be steadfastness in the Christian life of warfare.
In what sense does the gospel of peace provide the Christian with a
“good grip” in spiritual warfare?

Ephesians 6:15
may be translated in different ways: “feet shod with the preparation
of the gospel of peace,” “having feet fitted with the readiness
of the gospel of peace,” or “having shod your feet with the equipment
of the gospel of peace.” The key is a Greek word that can mean
“preparedness,” as in a prepared foundation or base. Hence, the gospel
of peace as a“prepared foundation” is the peace a Christian experiences
as a result of having been reconciled with God through the blood of
Christ. This reconciliation gives the Christian a firm foothold from
which to engage in the spiritual battle that we all face.

The
next piece of armor that Paul speaks about is the shield, which he
likens to faith (Eph. 6:16).
In introducing this armor, the apostle prefaces his point with a phrase
that may be translated as “above all,” or“besides or in addition to
all.” What do you think the apostle means by this opening phrase?

The word translated as “shield” comes from the word for “a
door.” The shield, measuring about four feet by two and a half feet and
consisting of two layers of wood glued together, was shaped like a
door. Because arrows in those days were dipped in pitch and then set on
fire, the wooden shield was covered with leather in order to extinguish
the glowing arrows and blunt their tips. This was a most prominent
weapon among all the weapons of defense.

The spiritual analogy isn’t hard to see: among the “fiery
arrows” of Satan are lust, doubt, greed, vanity, and so forth. “But
faith in God, held aloft like a shield, catches them, snuffs out the
flame, and makes them fall harmless to the ground.” - The SDA
Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1045.

This kind of faith is primarily
faith in action, a faith that, while including doctrinal truth, goes
beyond mere belief. It is a faith that manifests itself in an active
defense against the assaults of the enemy. Of course, we can’t save
ourselves, and we can’t fight the devil ourselves; our battle is to
daily choose the Lord and His ways over anything the devil will throw
before us.

WEDNESDAY November
14

Helmet and Sword

The helmet of salvation in Ephesians 6:17
is most likely taken from Isaiah 59:17,
although Paul applies it differently. In Isaiah 59, it is God who wears
the helmet of salvation; here, in Ephesians, the Christian is called
upon to receive it. Whereas the previous items may
have been laid out for the soldier to be picked up,
the helmet is handed to him. Perhaps this is to emphasize the total
“giftedness” of salvation.

In1
Thessalonians 5:8, Paul speaks of the helmet as the hope
of salvation. In Ephesians 6:17,
the helmet is depicted simply as salvation. How may this shift in
emphasis help to explain how salvation can be a weapon of defense?

Salvation in the New Testament is a present experience that
will climax in eternity by way of deliverance from every kind of evil.
The victorious helmet that God (Isa. 59:17)
wears is given to the believer as a protection. Because the ultimate
goal of the devil’s attack is to deprive Christians of their salvation,
the present assurance of salvation that is “given” to them apart from
their own works becomes a powerful weapon for surviving the conflict.
Truly can the believer in any spiritual conflict proclaim with the
psalmist, “O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have
covered my head in the day of battle“ (Ps.
140:7, NKJV).

After
mentioning the helmet of salvation, Paul speaks next about “the sword
of the spirit,” which is the Word of God. Compare that text with Hebrews 4:12.
What important truth is being conveyed by these verses, especially in
the context of our battle with Satan?

The temptation of Christ as recorded in Matthew 4:1-10
is a beautiful illustration of how the Word of God can be an effective
weapon. The passage should also provide an incentive to Christians to
buttress themselves with the truths that are revealed in the Word of
God.

So many forces are at play in
attempts to weaken our trust in the Bible. What are some of those
forces in your own society, church, or culture? More importantly, how
can you defend yourself against any and every attempt (which at times
can be very subtle) to weaken your trust in the Word of God?

THURSDAY November
15

Praying Always

Ephesians 6:18
begins with the phrase “praying always,” which suggests that praying is
connected with the previous verses. The idea is that the putting on,
taking up, and receiving of heaven’s armor all necessitate reliance on
God. Hence, “prayer is not another weapon; rather, it is the spirit,
the manner, in which the whole armor is to be worn and the battle
fought. Paul is here urging it as a perpetual state of mind, a
continuous attitude of communion with God.” - The SDA Bible
Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1046.

The Bible frequently calls on people not to cease from prayer (Luke 18:1,
Rom. 12:12,
Phil. 4:6,
Col. 4:2,
1
Thess. 5:17). But in the context of the
combat with evil forces that Paul is addressing in Ephesians 6, he
stresses the fact that every occasion in life is to be wrapped in
prayer. Such an attitude about prayer is no small demand on Christians,
especially because our first instinct in moments of difficulty is to
consult friends and colleagues, which is fine and has its place.
Prayer, though, should always be the first line of defense and is
something that we should be “always doing.”

Ephesians 6:18
begins with the phrase “praying always” and continues with another
about being “watchful.” About what are we to be watchful, and why?

When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He told Peter and the other
disciples whom He found sleeping to watch and pray (Mark 14:38).
Before this happened, Jesus had spent some time warning the disciples
to watch (Mark 13:33-37).
From the perspective of Luke, watching is linked with prayer as a
constant affair that brings spiritual strength to the Christian. In Ephesians 6:18
the emphasis is on praying for others. No doubt, as we pray for others,
we ourselves are spiritually strengthened, and we ourselves are better
armed for the ensuing conflict, no matter what form it takes.

Why is praying for ourselves more
important for us spiritually than having others pray for us (however
important that is)? What does personal prayer do for you that the
prayers of others just can’t?

“In every soul two powers are struggling earnestly for the
victory. Unbelief marshals its forces, led by Satan, to cut us off from
the Source of our strength. Faith marshals its forces, led by Christ,
the author and finisher of our faith. Hour by hour, in the sight of the
heavenly universe, the conflict goes forward. This is a hand-to-hand
fight, and the great question is, Which shall obtain the mastery? This
question each must decide for himself. In this warfare all must take a
part, fighting on one side or the other. From the conflict there is no
release. . . . We are urged to prepare for this conflict. ‘Be strong in
the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.’ The
warning is repeated, ‘Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God,
that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand.’”-Ellen G. White, Sons
and Daughters of God, p. 328.

“We must put on every piece of the armor, and then stand firm.
The Lord has honored us by choosing us as His soldiers. Let us fight
bravely for Him, maintaining the right in every transaction. Rectitude
in all things is essential to the welfare of the soul. As you strive
for the victory over your own inclinations, He will help you by His
Holy Spirit to be circumspect in every action, that you may give no
occasion for the enemy to speak evil of the truth. Put on as your
breastplate that divinely protected righteousness which it is the
privilege of all to wear. This will protect your spiritual life.“-Ellen
G. White, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1119.

Discussion Questions

However much this week’s lesson emphasized the personal
aspect of the struggle in which we’re all engaged, as Christians we are
part of a larger community. How can the community as a whole help one
another in their individual conflicts? What are the practical things
that the community can do to help those who are in spiritual need, in
whatever form that need may come?

How does the military imagery that Paul uses reinforce the
reality of the great controversy motif that is so central to the Bible?
Why is it always important to keep the reality of this conflict before
us? Who could imagine a soldier, in the battlefield, forgetting that he
was in a war? How much more important is it for us not to forget either?

Inside
Story ~ Northern Asia-Pacific Division: China

Power of Music

Kai Ming was a Christian. Her greatest joy was leading her
church choir. Then she met Yen, a Global Mission pioneer who was
working in her city. Kai Ming was impressed with Yen's singing and
invited him to teach her choir how to sing better. Yen agreed.

Soon Kai Ming realized that Yen knew his Bible well. She asked
him to teach her more about the Bible. She invited her fellow church
members to join her to learn more of the Word of God. When the leaders
of Kai Ming's church learned that Yen was teaching their members Bible
truths the leaders didn't believe in, they threatened Yen and warned
Kai Ming not to associate with her former church members.

Kai Ming was baptized and opened her home to start a house
church. She invited her friends to come and learn more about God. In
spite of her former church's edict, Kai Ming invited her former church
friends to come and hear Yen teach about God. She wanted her friends to
understand God's will and why she had left her former church.

Within a month of Kai Ming's baptism 12 people were coming to
her house church, seven of whom came from her former church. They
wanted to know what had drawn Kai Ming away from their church and the
choir that she loved so much.

Kai Ming visited one old woman who was bedridden with a bad
back. She prayed for the woman every day, and within a month the old
woman could walk again. The woman, her daughter, and her granddaughter
began attending Kai Ming's house church to thank God for her healing.

Others came asking for prayer for health and personal issues,
and the group prays for them. When several saw answers to their
prayers, they came and brought others.

Kai Ming made a good living selling blankets. But she yearned
to reach more people for God. So she gave up her blanket business and
became a Global Mission pioneer. She has taken over Yen's work in her
city, allowing Yen to begin working in another city. In the past three
years Kai Ming has led about 50 or 60 people to the Adventist Church,
including her two adult daughters.

"I've always believed in Jesus," she says. "But when I met
Yen, I learned the whole truth of the Bible. I thank God that He is
willing to use me to lead others to Jesus. God is so important in my
life."

Our mission offerings help support the work of Global Mission
in China and around the world. Thank you for giving.

Kai Ming Fang is a Global Mission
pioneer in Jiangsu Province, north of Shanghai, China.

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